For a city consists of men, and not of walls nor ships empty of men.

ἄνδρες γὰρ πόλις, καὶ οὐ τείχη οὐδὲ νῆες ἀνδρῶν κεναί.’

Nicias

Quoted in History of the Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides

Speech to the defeated Athenian army at Syracuse, 413 BC.

More information about this quote

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Original Citation

Nicias. Quoted in History of the Pelopponesian War, written by Thucydides. c. 405 BC, bk. 7.

Current Citation

Nicias. Quoted in History of the Pelopponesian War, written by Thucydides, translated by Martin Hammond. Oxford University Press, 2009, bk. 7.